Return, My Beloved
by spazartist101
Summary: Raven Bianchi is transported into the past, and encounters a love she had in a past life. SebastianxOC, CielxOC
1. Chapter 1

**SO! This is my third, and most likely not final, Kuroshitsuji fanfic! I'd been debating around this idea for awhile, and had started a time travel type thinng awhile back (posted on dA) but I didn't like how it was turning out, so I scrapped it and started this one! And since all the characters are hiding from me, I shall do the honors myself  
I do not own any characters from Kuroshitsuji. They all belong to the wonderful Yana Toboso~ I only own Raven and any other characters who might show up~**

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"If everyone would please follow along for our tour, we will be heading the outskirts of town to the countryside," the cheery young tour guide stated, smiling brightly at the group behind her before everyone filed onto the tour bus. A girl with raven black hair with electric blue streaks was the last to climb on, fishnet gloved hands holding onto her expensive camera and small iPod, the headphones attached to the music player placed over her ears and blocking out anyone who tried opening a conversation with her. Her calf-high, black, high-heeled boots clicked over the metal of the aisle floor before she took her seat, the edges of her steam punk styled overalls moving up and showing a healthy amount of her pale skinned thighs, the rest of her legs covered by thigh high white stockings. Her entire ensemble was monochromatic, her hair and strangely colored eyes, them being the color of sun when shone through a layer of snow; an eerie ice blue that was covered by a layer of black eye shadow and black coal eye liner, making them stand out even more. The last of her attire included a black turtleneck with no sleeves, letting the elbow length fishnet gloves entirely exposed. On her wrists were white, scuffed leather cuffs with thin chains dangling from them.

The girl let out a sigh as the bus lurched forward, driving into the woodland area of one of England's towns near the city of London. She rested her head against the window, closing her eyes as the bus jostled under her, the paved roads soon changing to ones of dirt. She kept her eyes shut until the large vehicle rolled to a stop in front of a large manor. The raven haired girl waited until the rest of the group filed off before standing and walking off herself, gripping her camera as she raised it to take a picture of the front of the building. She glanced over at the slowly vanishing group, and started to follow until the smell of roses filled her senses, making her pause mid-step. Following the scent, she ended up making her way into the back gardens, freezing at the beautiful sight before her. Cautiously, she stepped into the throng of sterling silver roses, one hand reaching up when she was close enough, and dainty fingertips softly caressed the delicate petals. She pulled her hand away and raised her camera once more, taking a photo of the vicious flower, but ended up seeing something in the grass that glinted brightly. Lowering her camera, she walked over to the object, finding a too-large-for-her-thumb ring. She held the ring up to the light, watching the sun glimmer off the strange blue stone.

Pain suddenly spiked through her head, making the young woman wince. She quickly reached into the messenger bag at her hip, rummaging around some before pulling out a green pill bottle and a water bottle, shaking out two pills before popping them into her mouth and chasing them down with the water. She panted some as the pain decreased...in her head at least. She yelped when the ring started to burn her fingers, making her drop it. The object fell to the ground with a soft _thump_. She felt the ground beneath her feet start shaking, making her lose her balance and fall back onto the ground. Her head bashed into a rock which just so happened to be placed there, and the last thing she saw before she blacked out were black feathers flying through the air around her, and then…nothing.

* * *

"Oooooww…" the young woman groaned in pain as she sat up in the spot she had fallen onto, though she felt as if she fell from a much greater height than she thought. She rubbed her sore head, wincing some when her fingers grazed over the wound the rock had inflicted. She pulled her hand away and found spots of blood staining her fingertips afterwards, making her eyes widen. She looked around the garden, noticing how much…livelier it looked. No overgrown or fading grass, no dying or wilting flower, nothing. Everything was well kempt and very tidy. What was more, the ring she had found earlier was gone. Thinking it had rolled into the nearby bushes, she crawled over to them, reaching beneath them and feeling around for the elusive object. She froze when someone cleared their throat behind her, and she slowly turned her head to see a man with just as black as her own and dressed in a butler uniform. Her face paled, not knowing anyone was still one the residence, and had caught her sifting under the rose bushes with her rear in the air.

Her face flushed a dark shade of red as she quickly retracted her hand from the bushes, getting her arm scratched in the process, and sat right side up. The man simply lifted a brow at her before his eyes went wide.

"Josette…?" he whispered, making the young woman's face scrunch up in confusion. The man blinked at her before shaking his head, mumbling something she couldn't hear. The man let out a sigh before composing himself.

"We might as well let the young master know you're here. He usually doesn't appreciate unannounced guests, much less unannounced strangers," he said, confusing the girl even more before pain spiked through her head again. Her pupils dilated as she began ransacking through her bag, trying to find the small green bottle, her heartbeat steadily rising, a heart attack becoming imminent. Her breath quickened to an unhealthy pace, her vision already clouding and spotting. She managed to find the bottle, but was barely able to open it her hands were shaking so much. Her eyes widened when her heart skipped a beat before stopping entirely for a few seconds, but the damage had already been dealt; the girl flumped onto her side, opened pill bottle in hand with a few of the tablets spilled onto the crisp green grass, the cap in her other hand. Her heart began to beat at its normal pace again, and the black clad butler leaned down, taking the cap and bottle and closing the container after dropping the fallen pills back in. He lifted the young woman from the ground before carrying her inside the manor.

He looked down at the all too familiar face, letting out a light sigh. Every feature about the young woman was the same, right down from her visage to her figure. Even her ice blue eyes were the same. His head bowed some as his eyes closed, whispering the same name he had before to the ravenette in his arms. Soon snapping back to attention, he brought her to one of the guest rooms, carefully placing her on the mattress before going to tell his master who the mysterious guest was.

Upon entering the office, the blue-gray haired young man glanced up, lifting a brow at the sudden intrusion.

"Pardon the interruption, young master, but we seem to have an unexpected guest in the premises," the older gentleman explained, bowing to his master as he did.

"Did you get a name?" the young man asked, his unhidden eye narrowing at the news.

"I'm afraid I was unable to, sir," the butler apologized, making the bluenette frown.

"Why ever not-" he was interrupted by a scream of frustration that sounded from the guest room, causing both of the men's eyes to widen. The butler immediately rushed out of the room, followed by the confused younger man. The door to the guest room burst open to show the girl frantically digging through the pile of contents in front of her, repeating the word "no" over and over to herself rapidly. Both men stood in confusion, the younger one more so than the butler beside him. Tears had begun to fill the girl's eyes before she looked up, seeing the two strangers standing and watching her from the doorway. She suddenly glared at the butler before jumping up and dashing over to him, full out tackling him and pinning him to the ground.

"Where the hell are they?!" she demanded, her blue eyes enraged but still brimming with tears. The butler blinked up at her in shock. _Even her temper is the same…_ he thought before regaining his composure.

"Afraid I don't follow. Did I steal something of yours?" he asked calmly, seeming to only make the young woman angrier.

"My pills, you idiot! I need those goddamn pills!" she shouted back, "they're these white tablets in a little green bottle!"

"Ah, yes. If you would kindly let me up, I would be happy to give them to you," he answered with a smirk. The ravenette narrowed her eyes in a steely glare before standing, biting the inside of her cheek. The butler chuckled, sitting up and reaching into his coat pocket to pull out the bottle. The young woman immediately snatched it from his hand before opening the container and shaking out two pills, sprinting back over to the bed and picking up the water bottle, popping the pills in her mouth and swallowing them down with the water. She let out a sigh of relief when they were down, closing the water bottle and turning to the horrendously confused men. The blue haired boy let out a heavy sigh, holding his hand to his head as though he was getting a migraine.

"Sebastian, explain, now," he grumbled. The butler stood up and brushed off his uniform before speaking.

"This is the young woman I was trying to tell you about, young master," Sebastian answered, gesturing to said young woman. The younger male shook his head in annoyance before turning to her with his arms crossed.

"Two questions then; who are you, and how did you get here?" The ravenette just blinked at him before answering.

"Uh…R-Raven…Raven Bianchi. As to how I got here, I have no idea," she answered with a shrug, "I found this oddly designed ring in the garden before the ground started to-" she abruptly dropped her sentence when something blue and shiny caught her eye. They widened before she dashed back over to the blue haired boy, grabbing the hand with the ring on it.

"But-! How-?!" she stuttered out, continuously flipping his hand in confusion. The young man sputtered himself before yanking his hand back.

"What is God's name are you doing?!" he shouted, making Raven cover her ears she was standing so close. She blinked a few times before her eyes narrowed, pointing to the ring.

"That was the ring I had found in the garden. How in the hell did you get it?" she asked back, her tone monotonous.

"This is _my ring._ It has been passed down the Phantomhive line for generations, he answered with a bored tone. More like he was talking to a complete idiot, which Raven caught. She grumbled, crossing her arms and biting her cheek again.

"So I take it you're Ciel Phantomhive?" she asked. More like growled.

"How do you know that?" Ciel answered, raising a brow while he crossed his arms again.

"I was on a tour of the grounds— wait what year is it?" she asked suddenly, dropping her original statement.

"…1888?" the young Earl answered. Raven slapped her forehead.

"Well SHIT," she cursed, "this is bad. This is really bad…"

"Is there a problem with the year, Miss Bianchi?" Sebastian asked, lifting a brow at her himself.

"AUGH! Don't say 'miss' or 'lady'. I have not, nor will I EVER, act as one," the young woman snapped back, covering her ears at the word, "and that's just the problem. I was born in _1994_, and it was 2012 when I was taking the tour." Both men stared at her like she was crazy.

"Do you remember seeing anything before this happened?" Sebastian questioned.

"Before I blacked out, I remember seeing a bunch of black feathers flying around…" Raven mumbled, biting her cheek once more afterwards. Ciel glanced over at his butler, raising a brow at him. The black clad butler only gave a small shrug in answer.

"Is there some way you can prove it?" Ciel asked, looking back over at the young woman. She nodded in response before walking over to the pile she was digging through before, looking for some sort of evidence while mumbling to herself. Sebastian couldn't help but make the numerous similarities between her and Josette. He shook his head some to clear the image out of his head as Raven walked back over, holding up the music player.

"I guess this could work, since I don't have a whole bunch that can prove anything," she mumbled, flipping the screen back to her as she scrolled through the music with her thumb and finger, "it's a touch-screen, so I don't have to use any buttons. You can play games and everything on it," she explained, clicking the Angry Birds app and turning the screen back to them, "this game is insanely addictive." Ciel glanced at his butler, who glanced back, before both looked at the device in her hand. She pulled back the slingshot with her finger and let go, sending the bird flying into the green pigs and small structures.

"Interesting. What is the objective exactly?" Sebastian questioned, watching the young woman play.

"Destroy the pigs," Raven answered simply, looking back up when she had finished the round, "it's pretty complicated since you have to angle everything just right to beat the round," she paused, exiting the app before looking back up, "if that's not enough, I could just show you my camera-"

"That won't be necessary," Ciel interrupted her, holding up his hand, "I think that covers enough. Seeing as how you can't go around telling people you're not from here, you will remain in the manor," he stated before turning and walking out of the room. Raven bit her cheek as she gave a small pout, crossing her arms.

"What a rude guy," she grumbled, making the butler chuckle. Ciel turned back as he was halfway down the hall, his eyes narrowed.

"Sebastian, we have to talk," he ordered before walking back to his office. Sebastian bowed before following after him, leaving the girl on her own. She waited till they had vanished before sliding her bulky headphones over her ears, plugging them back into her iPod and scrolling through her music, walking out of the room as she did.

_Might as well explore if I'm gonna stay here,_ she thought, walking down the stairs and settling on The Creepshow. She smirked as she started dancing around the entryway, singing the lyrics perfectly to Demon Lover.

_**Demon Lover**__ (By The Creepshow)_

_Killer smile that you can't deny  
Pure evil with out a doubt  
Got a Creepshow horror gonna take you for a ride  
And you know there's only one way out  
Well you think I'm just a pretty face,  
Boy you think it's gonna be alright  
Call for your momma, you better get ready,  
It's gonna be raining bloody evil tonight  
Bloody shovel I'll be diggin' your grave  
When the devil comes knockin'  
He'll be calling for you babe_

_Come on in close boy let me burn you with my desire  
Shot gun lid will blow you outta your mind  
COME ON AND BE MY DEMON LOVER TONIGHT  
Come wear my shadow baby so evil that you wanna die  
You know you got it comin' right between the eyes well  
COME ON AND BE MY DEMON LOVER TONIGHT_

"Sebastian, we need to discuss the situation," Ciel started, now sitting behind his desk in the chair, his butler standing on the opposite side, "she won't be able to stay here without some sort of explanation-" he paused as he heard music coming from downstairs. The melody was odd, but the voice was strangely…enchanting.

_Hey boy you wanna treat me right, _  
_Well you say you wanna hold my hand_  
_Tell me what you want and keep me up all night_  
_And be with me until we're dead_  
_Maybe you think I'm just an easy type boy_  
_I'm giving up without a fight_  
_You better get ready, you better get it right, _  
_If you're gonna be my demon lover tonight_

Sebastian wasn't the only who noticed the song being sung, and he turned his head to the door, smirking some when he caught snippets of the lyrics. Ciel moved to get up, walking out of the office to the source of the music. He found Raven in the entryway, dancing to the song she was singing to.

_Bloody shovel I'll be diggin' your grave  
When the devil comes knockin'  
He'll be calling for you babe_

_Come on in close boy let me burn you with my desire  
Shot gun lid will blow you outta your mind  
COME ON AND BE MY DEMON LOVER TONIGHT  
Come wear my shadow baby so evil that you wanna die  
You know you got it comin' right between the eyes well  
COME ON AND BE MY DEMON LOVER TONIGHT_

Raven was completely oblivious at the audience she was gaining as she danced a mixture of tap and jazz, easily completing the feat in her heels. She had her eyes closed as she continued, even getting the attention of the servants of the household.

_Come with me and make my world your home  
We'll toss these bleeding hearts right out that door  
When night comes rolling in our innocence will sin  
Better get ready, better get it right,  
If you're gonna be my demon lover tonight_

_Come on in close boy let me burn you with my desire  
Shot gun lid will blow you outta your mind  
COME ON AND BE MY DEMON LOVER TONIGHT  
Come wear my shadow baby so evil that you wanna die  
You know you got it comin' right between the eyes well  
COME ON AND BE MY DEMON LOVER TONIGHT!_

Raven stood still in the entryway when she was finished, panting some from the dancing she had done. She opened one eye when she heard claps and hollers of praise. She slid the headphones off and turned around, seeing the three servants of the house, clapping wildly for her. Her face tinged with a light shade of pink as they moved towards her, bright smiles on their faces.

"That was amazing, miss!" the young blond boy gushed, his gloved hands waving around in excitement.

"Your voice is simply wonderful, miss!" the red-headed maid praised, smiling brightly at the young woman. She suddenly had her hand grabbed before she was twirled around and tilted back, making her let out a squeak as her leg kicked out into the air to balance herself.

"Not too bad at dancing either~" the man grinned, winking down at her. Her face went darker before she struggled to get up.

"Mey-rin! Finny! Baldroy! Have you even accomplished your work?" Sebastian scolded, now standing near the group. They all flinched, making Sebastian sigh as he reached over and freed Raven from the older man's grasp.

"If you have time to hang about you should be completing your work!" he ordered, sending them a glare before they all dashed off. Raven's head was nearly spinning from what had just happened, making her cling to Sebastian's arms. He chuckled at her, snapping her back to reality before she pushed herself away from him, only making him smirk.

"What just happened?" she yelped, her face still a dark shade of red and steadily worsening.

"Those three fools are the other servants of the household; Mey-rin is our maid, Finny is the gardener, and Baldroy is our chef. I wonder where Mister Tanaka could have run off to-" Sebastian started before a huffed out laugh was heard behind Raven. The young woman turned around to see an old man drinking tea with a goofy grin on his face.

"Ah, there you are. Miss Bianchi-"

"AH AH AH! What did I say about the miss stuff?" Raven scolded, whipping her head around to glare at the butler.

"My apologies, but this is Mister Tanaka, our house steward," Sebastian finished, gesturing to the old man, whose only response was "ho, ho, ho".

"…I take it you saw?" Raven started.

"We both did," Ciel answered, walking down stairs towards her. Her face flushed again as she looked down at the ground, fiddling with a small lock of her hair.

"Yeaaaa, about the dance style…It's jazz. And tap. But mostly jazz."

"Jazz?" the young Earl questioned.

"That genre of music doesn't come out till the 1920's. More like the late 1910's…But anyway, sorry if it caused any offense," Raven chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her head.

"None taken. And it would appear we have a suitable way for you to stay here," Ciel continued, smirking some, "you will be posing as my new dance instructor. You are familiar with other forms of dance, are you not?"

"I've been dancing since before I could walk. You take the hint."

"Hint noted. If you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to. Sebastian, come with me," Ciel ordered before walking back up the stairs.

"Ah, hey! How old are you?!" Raven hollered after him before running and catching up. The young earl glanced over at her before letting out a small sigh.

"I turn seventeen my next birthday," he answered monotonously.

"Oh, we're the same age…ish…then," she replied, giggling some. She, fortunately for Ciel, didn't notice the light blush forming on his face. They passed Raven's "room", and the girl yawned, failing to stifle it, so both the earl and butler noticed.

"If you are feeling tired, please, have some rest," Sebastian said politely. The young woman nodded slowly before opening her door, walking inside and slowly putting her belongings into her bag, sitting down after and yanking off her shoes.

"Is there anything you need, Miss-" Sebastian dropped the statement when Raven glared up at him. He cleared is throat, but never finished his sentence.

"I'm fine, thanks. And seriously, just call me Raven," the young woman scolded, giving him a small pout. The butler blinked before smirking.

"If that is all, then I must take my leave-" he dropped his sentence again when he found Raven already fallen on her side, dead asleep. He let out a small sigh before walking over and properly putting her into bed, unable to help himself from having his fingers linger on her bare skin. He looked down at her sleeping face, his frame leaning down to rest his forehead against her own, his eyes closing as he did.

"_Please…Don't let this all be my imagination…"_ he mumbled before lifting his head some to plant a light kiss on her forehead, leaving the room after as though he was never there.

* * *

**DUN DUN DUUUUN. Gotcha, didn't I? ALL SHALL BE REVEALED UPON READING THIS STORY! Next chapter up soon~~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own none of the original characters from Black Butler/Kuroshisuji. I only own Raven Bianchi**

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_Man, what a bizarre dream_, the raven haired girl thought, rolling onto her other side a few hours after falling asleep earlier. She propped herself up on her hands, her legs still curled under her, before rubbing the sleepiness out of her eyes, getting bits of her make-up on the skin of her hand. She yawned afterwards, glancing around the room in confusion.

_How did I…?_ She asked herself, glancing around the room again as she slowly stood out of bed, still holding one of the pillows from the bed. She frowned some, glancing down at her attire to see she was still wearing her day clothes. She yawned again, blinking slowly before bending down and rolling off the crumpled stockings, walking out of the room barefoot afterwards. The halls were desolate and devoid of any sound, save for the young woman's footsteps. As she walked, the day's events slowly came back to her, making her shake her head in disbelief.

"This has all _got_ to be a dream…" she told herself quietly, leaning against the wall for a moment. A sharp pain spiked through her head, making the girl cringe before crumpling to the ground. White light flashed behind her eyes before she saw something…rather odd.

_The girl was standing in the center of a field. The sky was a deep purple, almost like a fresh bruise, and the only flower to be seen in the field were row up row of white lilies. Her eyes drifted down, and her eyes widened when she saw she was in a VERY form fitting black dress. Her hair had gotten longer, as well as he her nails, which now more resembled claws. A hand reached up to see why her head felt heavier than normal, and she inhaled sharply through her teeth as she felt horns sprouting from her forehead. She quickly shook off the thought and glanced around, seeing nothing but the flowers surrounding her. Raven frowned, looking around once more to double check, and came face to face with a man with deep black hair and glowing red eyes, the pupils tiny slits. Equally black horns curled from and around his head, and large black wings were folded against his back. A slow smile spread over his face, a look of adoration crossing through his eyes. Raven unknowingly reached a hand towards his face, pressing her palm against his cheek and sliding a thumb just under his glowing eye. The man's eyes shut as he reached a hand up and held her hand to his face, his head turning slightly so he could kiss her palm. The ravenette felt a smile tug at her lips at the action, and her smile grew a tad as the man turned his gaze back to her. He kept his hand over hers as they began to lean towards each other. Their lips were just about to touch when—._

Raven snapped back to reality before that kiss happened. Her eyes went impossibly wide as a blush slowly grew over her face. That man seemed…oddly familiar to her, but she couldn't place his face at the time. Letting out a shaky breath, she slowly rose to her feet and made her way back to the guest room, keeping a hand on the wall for support. She quietly sealed the door shut behind her when she was through, leaning heavily against it after and letting out a heavy sigh as her eyes sealed shut. She opened them into slits a short while later, suddenly feeling completely drained. Glancing at the clock, she blanched to see it was nearing three in the morning. Letting out another sigh, she walked over to the bed, unbuttoning the straps to her overalls as she did. She kicked them off when they were low enough before crawling back into bed, curling into a ball under the covers and falling back asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

* * *

"Miss Raven, it is time to wake up," a voice rang out a few hours later before the room was filled with sunlight, making the young woman groan as she huddled further under the covers. The perpetrator let out an annoyed sigh before reaching for the covers, attempting to pull them off the raven haired woman. When she clung tighter, the man pulled more, finally getting them off of the still sleeping young woman, freezing his movements when he caught her in only her turtle neck shirt and black panties. He blinked once, twice, then started chuckling, causing the young woman to sit up and glare at him, yanking the covers back and hiding under them.

"Pervert!" Raven yelled, her voice somewhat muffled from the covers. The butler was still chuckling as he reached a hand over and gently placed it on her shoulder.

"It's time for you to wake up, miss-"

"DON'T. EVEN," she growled, peering out from the thick comforter some to glare at him. Sebastian held his hands up in surrender, though he still had a smirk on his face.

"My apologies, Raven, but the fact that it is time to wake up is still relevant," he explained, placing a hand over his heart and bowing. The young woman sat up then, rubbing her eyes tiredly and smudging yesterday's make-up, but it could easily be fixed, so she didn't entirely care. Her nose twitched some before she looked over to see Sebastian pouring her a cup of tea, which she gladly accepted, taking a small sip and instantly relieving her dry throat. She let out a content sigh as she leaned back against the pillows, closing her eyes as she did and concealing the ice blue orbs.

The black clad butler glanced over at the shadow haired young woman as he prepared her morning snack. Her black make-up had smeared around her eyes, making it seem as though there were gaping holes on her face, giving an eerie feeling to anyone normal. The butler smirked some before clearing his throat, making Raven open and reveal her cold eyes. Sebastian held the snack towards her, and she gladly took it, nibbling on the bread after finishing off her tea. The older man left soon after, and Raven pulled back the covers when the door sealed shut, half of the piece of bread between her teeth. She looked around the room for her overalls and found them sitting on the back of a chair with a laid out blue dress next to it. Raven's nose crinkled upon seeing the dress, always thinking such things were too stuffy and only wore them when it was deemed appropriate. So she ignored it entirely and easily slipped back into her overalls, pulling on her stockings and boots afterwards.

When all was set and done, she waltzed out of the room, headphones over her ears and music blasting out of them. She swayed some to the music as she made her way to the dining room, finding the room empty. She frowned some in confusion before wandering around to the front door, exiting there to find everyone she had met yesterday, along with someone new, either standing or sitting on the lot. Ciel was set in a chair with a table holding a pitcher and a glass of lemonade, and the rest of the servants stood near him. Sebastian stood opposite the new person in silence before the Asian man struck a fighting pose that Raven recognized before he even shouted it.

"Take this! Secret technique! _The beauties of nature blooming in glory fiiiist!"_ the man shouted before dashing forward. Sebastian tugged his gloves before sending a glare at the man, easily dodging and using a move that made Raven's jaw drop. The man fell to the ground, hacking up blood for a few seconds before turning to glare at the butler.

"Th-that was the ultimate secret technique at our school…_when the fierce tiger and dragon roar, ten thousand flowers scatter and split fist…_You fiend! Who the hell are you?!" the man shouted. Sebastian patted his hands together, looking over his shoulder at the fallen man.

"_I am the butler of the Phantomhive family. It goes without saying that I can manage a technique as elementary as this_," Sebastian answered before turning to an irritated Ciel, "now then, young master. As I have won this battle, please review what you did today and prepare for tomorrow's lessons until dinnertime, as promised," Sebastian ordered with a smiled on his face. Ciel gave an annoyed tick, resting his head on his fist. All the servants stared at Sebastian with awe.

"You're AMAZING Mister Sebastian!" Finnian gushed, beaming at the butler, "that makes fifty wins in a row!"

"Th-that's my—er, that's Mister Sebastian for you…" Mey-rin stammered, holding her reddening face.

"Ain't our butler flippin' awesome?" Baldroy snickered, grinning widely.

"And after I went to the trouble of going to mysterious lands to bring back an expert in Chinese martial arts…" Ciel grumbled, letting out a sigh after, "I thought for sure today would be the day I would see you down on your knees."

"That is most unfortunate, sir," the butler responded, still keeping the smile on his face.

"Anyway…well done, Sebastian. Here drink this. In one gulp," Ciel ordered, handing him the glass of lemonade.

"Much obliged, sir," Sebastian replied, doing as he was told. He set the glass down after and turned on the servants.

"Now then…_what are you three doing here?_" he ordered, making the others flinch, "Finny. Have you finished weeding the inner garden? Meyrin. Have all the sheets been laundered? Baldo. Were you not to be preparing dinner? _If you have time to dally here, go do your work!"_ he ordered, shoving them off. They ran to their different stations and Ciel spoke after they were gone.

"Speaking of _work_…Sebastian, I got a call from Chlaus in Italy," he explained while standing up.

"From Mister Chlaus, sir?" Sebastian questioned.

"I need to talk to you about it. Come," Ciel ordered while taking his walking stick and heading to the front door. The young man blinked upon seeing the gaping young woman at the top step, her eyes still wide. The young Earl raised a brow at her before rolling his eyes.

"Close your mouth. You look like a codfish," he snickered, smirking at her. Her mouth snapped shut then opened again before she clenched her jaw together, grinding her teeth and rearing her fist back to punch him.

"You son of a—!" she started before Sebastian appeared behind her, keeping an arm around her waist and holding back her wrist. Raven struggled to push the man's arm away, but to no avail. She wasn't quitting at any time soon though. Ciel let out a small chuckle before heading inside and walking to his office. Sebastian watched him go for a small moment before hefting the young girl up and over his shoulder.

"What the—OI! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" she shouted at him, attempting to properly knee him in the chest or gut. He held down her legs with his arm, and she growled in annoyance before she was set down on a sofa. She grumbled, crossing her arms and legs and biting the inside of her cheek in irritation at being man-handled in such a way. Sure it had happened before, but she still didn't like it. Ciel raised a brow at her before turning his attention back to his servant.

"So, Mister Chlaus himself is coming to England, sir?" Sebastian ventured, standing still before his master.

"Yes. He rang to tell me he'd gotten ahold of what I'd asked for. It seems he went to a lot of trouble this time," the young earl explained as he leaned back in his chair, opening a newspaper as he did, "he should arrive by six, and we'll talk business in here. You get my drift, don't you Sebastian?" the boy smirked, resting head on his hand while smirking up at the butler, who bowed politely in response with his own grin.

"Perfectly sir. We shall entertain Mister Chlaus such that he is well and truly satisfied…by the way, young master…" the man groaned out some before his hand gripped at his chest, his smile looking strained, "might I inquire as to what was in that lemonade? I seem to have a spot of heartburn…" he mumbled, his fingers twitching.

"That was Tanaka's special lemonade, made with 'Ajixmoto'. He probably mistook it for sugar, since they're both white. I'd had enough with just one sip," Ciel explained, not seeming to entirely care. Sebastian remained quiet for a few moments before clearing his throat, his brow twitching some in annoyance.

"Very well sir. I shall begin the preparations. If you will excuse me…" he strained out, bowing once more.

"All right. I leave it to you," his master answered, flipping the paper back open.

"Please do sir," the older man answered, tugging down his gloves before exiting the room. Raven had sat through the entire conversation, completely speechless with her eyes wide and her jaw dropped once more. Ciel glanced over at the silent girl, raising a brow at her.

"If that look has something to do with how I treat my servant—" he started before Raven jumped up and dashed over to the boy's desk, slamming her hands down on it.

"You can't possibly mean Chlaus, right? I mean, you can't possibly mean the mafia related family _Chlaus_, right?" she pressed, her eyes a bit wide with…fright. The look startled the Earl, his showing eye going wide at the look on the girl's face. She couldn't possibly know what the Phantomhive's true purpose was…could she?

"…What about Chlaus?" he asked sternly, narrowing his eye at her. She remained unafraid, by him at least.

"There's something about my family you don't entirely understand…ah, forget it," she groaned out, turning to go back to her seat. Ciel's eyes flashed with anger and a hint of curiosity, and he jumped from his seat, grabbing the girl's wrist and keeping her in place before she could leave.

"What about your family? Does it have something to do with Chlaus?" he asked, his grip tightening some and making the ravenette wince. He loosened his hold, and she pulled her hand away, rubbing her now throbbing wrist. Seeing as how she had no current escape from him, she let out a heavy sigh and turned back to face him, her face serious.

"Ciel…I'm not from a low class family, but we're not a very good one either," she started, her eyes narrowing some, "the money we have is old money. The Bianchi line has been around for generations…as a high standing mafia family, dating all the way back before mafias became a 'thing'," she paused for a moment to sit down, hugging herself tightly, "the Chlaus family…we're still close with them. We have been since at least the beginning of the 19th century. No doubt the Chlaus I know from my time is somehow related to this one. I…I'm afraid of what'll happen if this man finds out my last name. He could get suspicious, and my cover could be blown," she finally finished, her face to the ground. Ciel listened intently to the young woman, the paper folded on his lap and his chin resting on his folded hands, his head propped up by his elbows. He was well aware she wasn't telling everything about her life, but that could wait. If the Bianchi family was really attached to the Chlaus family, they could be in serious trouble.

"We'll discuss the matter later. For now, we'll have you use a different last name," he explained before ringing the bell near him. Raven nodded solemnly in return, remaining dead silent afterwards. Sebastian walked into the room a few minutes later, his expression a bit irritated at being disturbed from his work.

"What is it, sir?" he asked, standing once again before the earl.

"I'm hungry. I want something sweet. Like a parfait," he answered, his expression blank. Raven stared in some surprise, taken aback from the shift in attitude and conversation from something concerning her life to sweets.

"No young master. If you have that, you will not finish all your dinner," Sebastian warned, his expression remaining the same.

"Just make something," Ciel argued back, his own face still blank.

"I am afraid I cannot, young master."

"Just make something."

"No, young master."

"Okay! I'm gonna interrupt now!" Raven exclaimed, stopping the conversation as an explosion sounded, making the girl jump. Sebastian looked at her before turning to walk out the door, his face turning dark as though he already knew what had happened. A heavy silence hung about the room before Ciel gave a small sigh and pulled out a candy bar from a drawer in his desk. Raven let out a small gasp before jumping up and snatching it from him, shocking the young man.

"What the—hey! Give me that!" he ordered, jumping up and reaching for it. Raven pulled it back from him with a small frown.

"No sweets before supper. Besides, if anyone needs chocolate right now, it's the breaking down female in the room," she scoffed, starting to unravel the candy bar, much to Ciel's horror when she bit off a large chunk. She glanced over at the boy before breaking off a piece of the one in her mouth and putting it right in the boy's dropped jaw, making him flush a dark red at the somewhat intimate action, but he ate the sweet nonetheless.

"There. Now stop complaining," she scolded, biting off another piece. Ciel's face remained red as he sat back down, covering his mouth with his palm as he rested his elbow on the desk. He couldn't keep his eyes from wandering back up to Raven as she ate the chocolate, practically purring in delight. The Earl's eyes narrowed some when he saw the young woman wearing the same outfit from yesterday, and it certainly wouldn't do for the upcoming guest. Unfortunately for Ciel, the ravenette caught the look she was receiving.

"If you're glaring like that because of my attire, you can drop it. There is now way in _hell_ I'm wearing a goddamn dress," she growled out, finishing off the treat. Ciel's eyes narrowed further as he rose to his feet, moving around his desk and towards the girl.

"You don't have much choice in the matter. Your current attire isn't very appropriate for the occasion. You wouldn't want Chlaus to get suspicious, would you?" he smirked. Raven flinched before biting the inside of her cheek in a pout, knowing her was right. She left the room soon after, walking back to the room she was using to prepare, jumbling last names around her mind as she did. She glared at the blue dress after entering the room, standing across from it with her arms crossed and a deep scowl set on her face. Letting out a huff of annoyance, she unhooked her overalls and slid them off, her shirt and bra coming off soon after. She slid the dress over her head, letting it settle loosely before tightening the cords in the corset back. Deciding to keep her shoes and stockings on, she waltzed over to her messenger bag, digging around for her make up pouch and giving a victory yelp when she found it. She dashed into the bathroom and removed what was currently on her face, reapplying the dark substances afterwards and exiting the room to get Ciel's approval, much to the ravenette's dismay at wearing such an outfit. The young woman knocked cautiously on Ciel's office door, waiting for an answer before entering slowly, an actual blush on her face as she fidgeted in the doorway, rubbing the back of her neck as she waited for the Earl's opinion.

The male glanced up when he heard the door open, and his eyes went wide when he saw the young woman in that dress. It suited her shockingly well, hugging her figure decently without it being too scandalous, and the blue matched the streaks in her hair perfectly. A light blush formed back on his face as he caught himself staring, and he quickly looked away, turning around completely and making the ravenette frown some.

"It'll do. Try not to get it ruined before dinner," he grumbled at her, his face still red and getting darker. He was exceedingly grateful Raven couldn't see his face at the time. The young woman beamed at him, even though he couldn't see it, and moved to go back to her room to grab her music.

Raven slid the bulky headphones over her ears when she nabbed her music, scrolling through the iPod touch before settling on something slow and steady, fingers tapping out the piano as she walked slowly out of the bedroom, her eyes shut as she hummed along. A small squeak escaped her when she ran into something; or rather, someone.

"Hn? Ooh, well if it ain't the pretty little dancer," Bard grinned, looking up and over his shoulder at Raven. The younger female looked down to see him, Finny, and Mey-rin sitting on the stairs, looking rather bored.

"Uh…Do I want to know what happened?" she asked timidly, flinching back as the mood around each darkened.

"Mister Sebastian made us not do anything," Finnian sobbed, tears actually coming from the boy's eyes. The maid next to him patted his back in comfort while Raven stared on in confusion.

"He did say not to touch anything twice," Baldroy mumbled, and all three servants shuddered at the memory.

"Well, we already helped enough," the maid sighed, keeping her gaze fixated in space, "I got the tea seats, Finny got rocks and iris bulbs, and Bardroy cut the meat for dinner," she explained. The black haired girl's head tilted to the side in confusion, not understanding why they were still upset, before someone cleared her throat behind her. She turned around and looked at Ciel as he held a book in his hand, a bored expression on his face. Everyone went dead silent as he walked past them and outside, sealing the doors shut behind him. All four blinked before Raven followed after him, closing the doors behind her and sitting down next to the blue-gray haired male. He glanced up at her before turning his attention back to his book, only to be interrupted again when a car pulled into the lot, making both look up.

"My, my! Home is far from this!" the man exclaimed in delight as he stepped out of the vehicle and adjusted his hat, "and it's been awhile since I've come here too."

"You made it Chlaus," Ciel called as he rose to his feet, Raven following suit.

"_Buonasera_, Ciel!" the man exclaimed, hugging the younger male and patting his head and back, "have you been well? Have you—ah. And who is this?" the man asked as he noticed the young woman standing a bit behind Ciel, her eyes a bit weary before she put a smile on her face and moved from behind Ciel, curtsying to the older man.

"_Buonasera, Signore Chlaus. Come stai?_" the girl asked in fluent Italian. The man she was addressing as well as the blue haired younger man stared at her with wide eyes before Chlaus laughed, a bright smile showing up on his face.

"_Ah, io sono buono! E si?_" he asked, smiling warmly at the young woman.

"_Io sono bene_," Raven answered politely, bowing her head some.

"Ha ha! Ciel, you always surprise me! Now, who might you be, little one?" Chlaus boomed out as they walked up the steps to go inside the manor house.

"I am Raven Marker," she answered, feeling a bit guilty that she had used her friend's last name, but quickly brushed it off. Not as if she would ever know what happened to her. The doors to the manor opened to show all the servants standing and waiting, all of them bowing in greeting.

"Welcome, Mister Chlaus," Sebastian said politely as he stood up straight.

"Oh-hoh…Oh my…You've really cleaned up this manor house," the older man pointed out, his jaw slack and his eyes wide.

"We have been expecting you Mister Chlaus," Sebastian continued, bowing once again to the Italian man.

"Sebastian, long time no see!" Chlaus answered as he removed his coat and handed it to Finny, "I see you've taken on new staff here. Here's my hat too," he pointed out, plopping his fedora on the boy's head.

"You have much to discuss with my master. Dinner will be ready shortly, so please, right this way to the courtyard, sir," Sebastian told him, smiling politely as he walked over to the back doors. Chlaus gave him a confused look before walking over himself.

"The courtyard?"

"The young master has ordered us to entertain you for all the trouble you have experienced on his behalf during your journey, sir," the black clad butler started as he opened the doors, "I hope you find our efforts most agreeable. Please, make yourself at home," he finished as the doors opened to show the garden had completely transformed. The rose bushes were gone and replaced so the entire thing looked like a Japanese stone garden.

"Ooh…! Delightful! _Prodigioso!_" Chlaus praised, "this is a Japanese stone garden."

"We have tea ready for you, sir. Right this way, if you please," Sebastian called before leading the man to the dinner table. Raven followed the grouping, her eyes drifting over to the piano set in another section of the garden, her fingers itching to play the instrument. She clenched her hands tightly in fists behind her back before finally sitting down, not seeing the smirk Sebastian had thrown her when he caught her staring.

"The irises are very beautiful," Chlaus started as he sat down, looking more around the garden, "bare trees and flowers…this must be what's called 'wabisabi'."

"Excuse me," Sebastian said before pouring the man a cup of tea with Tanaka's tea set, of which the older Italian man took notice of.

"Even the tea is Japanese. I see you are particular about the details," he praised.

"I deeply appreciate your words," the butler answered, his smirk changing into a polite smile.

"I think I can look forward to dinner as well, ha-ha-ha!" Chlaus boomed out. Raven rolled her eyes some, catching the servants hiding among the irises, and her shoulders tensed up some, afraid they would get caught. Quickly shaking it off, her eyes diverted back to the piano, her teeth clamping on her lower lip as she wrung her hands under the table.

"You are free to play as you wish, Raven," Sebastian chuckle when he caught the young woman staring at the instrument again. She was up and out of her seat faster than anyone could even blink, and she was soon standing in front of the piano, her eyes practically sparkling as her brain wracked to find something to play. A small smile spread on her face as her finger brushed the keys while she sat down, setting her hands in the proper places. True, the song she chose was sad, but she didn't entirely understand why it came to her now.

_I know it's over.  
My heart will never know  
another lover.  
We two  
shall never share another breath._

_My will has faded.  
This longing it's  
an unrelenting torture.  
Oh, mercy, take me now  
to my beloved._

_You were the thrill  
that stilled my  
beating heart, baby.  
You are the one  
I dream the most.  
But if I cannot have  
the real thing  
I'll gladly settle for your ghost._

Ciel eyes went a bit wide when the song began to pour from the young female's lips, amazed at the emotion she placed into it. He even felt goose bumps rise over his arms at the high notes. His shadow was having much the same reaction, and Chlaus had turned to look at the ravenette as she began to sing, his own eyes just as wide as the others. The young Earl was the first to come back from his daze as he cleared his throat, addressing his guest.

"By the way Chlaus…what I asked for?" he said, making the man look over at him with a jolt and a quick shake of his head.

"Ah…I've brought it, as promised," he answered, taking a small game pack from his suit jacket pocket, "here is the game you wanted."

_And you can haunt these halls.  
All you want.  
And if I ever leave  
I will take you  
with me._

_This thing that beats  
is the one thing  
that keeps us apart.  
Well they say to say  
goodbye.  
But I'd surely rather die  
from my broken heart._

"It isn't widely available in Italy, so it was quite troublesome to procure it," Chlaus chuckled, giving a small shrug to the young earl.

"Hmph! Trouble, hmm? So you keep stressing since this morning's phone call," Ciel replied with a laugh of his own, resting his elbows on the table and folding his hands.

"Of course. The prince gives his servants a fitting 'reward' after all!" Chlaus chuckled lightly as he picked up the small package and placed it back into his coat pocket.

"I do hope this game is worth the 'reward' though," the young earl started with a sigh, tilting his chair back on its legs, "the one I _finished playing_ the other day had such a tiresome ending."

"Really now! Games are easily completed by the hands of children like you, Ciel," the man sighed, shaking his head lightly, "soon you'll be asking for another."

"_Of course. Children are greedy when it comes to games,_" the young man answered with a wicked grin.

_You are the thrill that stilled  
my beating heart, baby.  
You are the one  
I'll dream the most.  
But if I cannot have  
the real thing.  
I'll gladly settle  
for your ghost._

_I'll gladly settle for your ghost…_

Both men's eyes returned to the girl as she was finishing her up her song, and Chlaus had a smirk start to spread over his face as he watched her rise and walk slowly, albeit a bit hesitantly, away from the piano and back to the dinner table.

"So where did you find her, Ciel?" he asked, his voice a bit hushed. The young man raised a brow at the question, his eyes narrowing a bit.

"Why do you ask?" he answered, folding his hands again.

"She looks like a very good…friend of my family's," Chlaus answered, his smirk growing some, "she actually looks very similar to—"

"Pardon my interruption, sirs," Sebastian interjected, catching everyone's attention, "dinner is served. On the menu is our chef Baldroy's _gyuu-tataki-don._" Chlaus blinked in confusion as the meal was placed in front of him.

"This…is dinner?"

"Yes," Sebastian answered politely, a smile on his face.

"I was expecting a Kyoto-style full-course meal or something…"

"Mister Chlaus, did you now…?" Sebastian started, making the older man widen his eyes in confusion, "_donburi has been used in Japan from ancient times as a feast to express gratitude to laborers. A dish given as a treat to a person who has rendered great service_…**_that is donburi!"_** he exclaimed, leaving everyone sitting at the table in a stunned silence.

"'Houhan,' a court dish for which the masses yearned, is said to be the origin of donburi. Furthermore…I thought Mister Chlaus's palate might have grown tired of elaborate dishes, and I planned this meal so that you might eat the choicest meat simply," the butler concluded, a polite smile back on his face. Chlaus stared at the butler in a stunned silence before everything clicked in his head with a gasp, and a loud laughter burst from him.

"Ciel! This is great! You always surprise me!" he praised, laughing as he did, "a lot of the fellows in this business lack a sense of humor, but I think we'll get on just fine from here," he finished, still chuckling a bit.

"I'm honored to hear that," the Earl answered, a small smirk on his face as he rested his head on his hand. The raven haired girl chuckled silently as she heard the servants cheering from inside.

"I didn't know the Japanese Donburi had such history behind it," the Italian man praised Sebastian, beaming up at him, "you really are quite the intellectual."

"Most kind of you, sir," he butler answered, bowing to him. Fortunately nobody knew that the study was in complete chaos from the rapid studying the man had done beforehand.

"As you said," Chlaus started, still smiling to himself as he tucked his napkin into the collar of his shirt, "I've grown weary of full-flavored Italian dishes. Thank you," he concluded, picking up his bowl. The raven haired girl picked up her chopsticks and soon began eating, having a difficult time keeping to proper table etiquette and not devour the entire bowl in seconds flat.

"I also selected an Italian wine to suit your taste, sir," Sebastian continued, motioning over to Mey-rin, who stood in front of a small cart with the bottle of wine resting in a bucket of ice. It went dead silent as the maid simply stood there with a goofy grin on her face. The butler kept quiet for a second before calling her name, making the red head snap back to attention.

"Y-yes?" she asked, that grin still on her face. The butler moved close so he could whisper something to her, and it was something either inappropriate or the close proximity of the man to the maid, but something made the maid's face flush a deep scarlet. Raven watched closely, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the now violently shaking maid. Something bad was about to happen, and the girl could feel it.

The red headed woman was mumbling to herself, her face still dark red as she wobbled up to the older Italian man. The bottle in her hands tipped over as she began pouring the alcohol, but was completely missing the glass. It was fortunate that Chlaus was distracted as the wine started pooling over the table cloth, nearing the edge of the table. Raven, Ciel, and Sebastian stared with wide eyes before the butler reacted, pulling the table cloth right out form under all of the objects on the table, shocking everyone in and out of the house. Raven's eyes bugged out of her head as she stared, her jaw going slack in amazement at what just occurred. Bardroy and Finnian soon came out and dragged the flustered woman away, and Chlaus gaped at the now bare table.

"O-ohh?! Where did the tablecloth go?!" he stammered, staring wide eyed at the dark wood. The young Earl gave a small chuckled, smirking like he was hiding something.

"I had it taken away because there was a _slight stain_ on it. Don't trouble yourself," he answered, continuing on with his meal.

"Excuse us for our grave discourtesy," Sebastian echoed, bowing next to his master, his own smirk on his face, "please, relax and enjoy your meal."

The meal continued on without fault and in silence until everyone was finished, and Sebastian took away everything and exited to the inside of the mansion, shutting the door behind him. The dark haired girl let out a weary sigh, making sure it went inaudible so as not to raise questions.

"Your butler is most skilled, Ciel," Chlaus praised, folding his hands as he rested his elbows on the table.

"…Skilled?" the younger male started with a small laugh, "he only did what was expected of him as my servant," he concluded. The man he was meeting with laughed in response while the black haired girl tsked at him.

"You're tough, Ciel," she chided, wagging a finger at him.

"Ah, but Miss Marker, a talent like that would be hard to find, even if you looked all over Britain," Chlaus argued, wagging a finger over at the young woman.

"Of course," the younger man agreed, "but that's not the only reason I hired him," he continued, picking up a spoon and flipping it over to see his reflection properly, "I've never had sweets that tasted better than Sebastian's," he concluded, his expression still holding a small smirk. Raven and Chlaus stared at him before the young woman let out a small puff of air.

"Pfff, ha! Why am I NOT surprised you said that, Ciel?!" she snickered. The Italian man joined in on her laughter, leaning back in his chair.

"It's certainly a very important reason to a child!" he agreed, both of them cracking up at the mundane and innocent factor. The Earl chuckled lightly, resting his head on his hand with his elbow propping it up.

"I look forward to today's dessert," he said softly, smirking again at his reflection. The butler came out a few minutes later with a tray holding three plates of apricot and green tea mille-feuille. The ravenette's eyes lit up when she saw the dessert, and she sat up in her seat, clapping her hands in delight when it was placed in front of her. The men seated with her stared before the blue haired boy chuckled, leaning back in his seat a bit.

"And I thought I was the one addicted to sweets from what you said," he chided at her, smirking when he managed to make her blush.

"Shut up," she mumbled, taking a bite of food and slouching down with a pout. Something odd struck through her head as she looked around at the blooming flowers, thanking that the others were distracted. She had remembered the red headed maid saying Finnian had bought iris bulbs for the butler.

_How in the world did he manage to make them bloom so quickly?_

* * *

**Finally, cranked out this chapter. I sincerely apologize for the extra long wait, school has been hell dealing with graduation and trying to get everything completed in time for my senior project, not to mention my muse hasn't been around much -now holding her hostage-. But, please enjoy the chapter~**

**Song used: Beloved by April Smith and the Great Picture Show**


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